Mexican Journalist Hopes His Reporting Can 'Bridge The Gap'

"Well, I've been traveling for the last five days from the Guatemala-Mexico border, following the journey of the train known as The Beast. And this is the train that many of the poorest Central Americans use to come across the Mexican landscape atop the train - to cling - I mean, a harrowing, harrowing trip for people. And obviously, these days it's even more dangerous because you have so many children."

"Mexico had said that they were going to double up its efforts to - to stop people from getting on the train. And at least in the places I went to, it's working. I mean, there were not trains leaving which meant more of these migrant shelters are packed. People are stuck. So less people are getting to the border - to the Texas border."

"The real pressure is now on the Mexican-Guatemalan border and throughout these communities along the railroad."

A reporter spent five days traveling along the Guatemala-Mexico border while following the train known as The Beast. Many of the poorest Central Americans ride on top of the train to cross Mexico, enduring a dangerous journey, especially with children among the migrants. Mexico increased efforts to prevent people from boarding the train, and in the areas visited this reduced departures. Fewer trains leaving meant more migrants remained in packed shelters and fewer reached the Texas border. The main pressure shifted to the Mexican-Guatemalan border and to communities along the railroad, where migrants are concentrated and movement becomes more constrained.

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